4th Dec, 2024 11:00

Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria Dec 2024

 
Lot 123
 

123

A FINE AND RARE SCOTTISH BROADSWORD WITH SIGNED BASKET-HILT BY JOHN SIMPSON, GLASGOW, CIRCA 1700-10

with broad tapering double-edged blade struck with three 'King's head' marks between two short slender fullers framed by lines on each face (rubbed), boldly formed iron basket-hilt of strongly fluted bars, comprising scrolling quillon stamped on its underside 'I.S' and 'G', the latter over a saltire, a tall slender panel with delicately cusped border pierced with hearts and trefoils above an openwork ram's horn moulding at the front, back and knuckle-guard, two square panels decorated en suite and each carried by a saltire, a pair of looped bars at the front, fluted bun-shaped moulding enriched with punched circles, the principle bars and panels with delicate filed lines and punched rondels (small cracks on two panels), early fish-skin-covered grip with a spiral binding of silver ribband between shaped silver collars, and an early leather liner, 82.8 cm blade

Provenance

An Important English Private Collection

Literature

Tony Willis, Notes on the dating of early Glasgow Style Scottish Basket-Hilted Swords, in The Park Lane Arms Fair 2015, pp. 103-117

See Willis, op. cit., for a discussion of this specific group of hilts, their dates and attributions to specific members of the Simpson family. For related hilts, sold in this room, see 7th December 2011, lot 157 and 7th December 2022, lot 218.

Sold for £8,500


 

with broad tapering double-edged blade struck with three 'King's head' marks between two short slender fullers framed by lines on each face (rubbed), boldly formed iron basket-hilt of strongly fluted bars, comprising scrolling quillon stamped on its underside 'I.S' and 'G', the latter over a saltire, a tall slender panel with delicately cusped border pierced with hearts and trefoils above an openwork ram's horn moulding at the front, back and knuckle-guard, two square panels decorated en suite and each carried by a saltire, a pair of looped bars at the front, fluted bun-shaped moulding enriched with punched circles, the principle bars and panels with delicate filed lines and punched rondels (small cracks on two panels), early fish-skin-covered grip with a spiral binding of silver ribband between shaped silver collars, and an early leather liner, 82.8 cm blade

Provenance

An Important English Private Collection

Literature

Tony Willis, Notes on the dating of early Glasgow Style Scottish Basket-Hilted Swords, in The Park Lane Arms Fair 2015, pp. 103-117

See Willis, op. cit., for a discussion of this specific group of hilts, their dates and attributions to specific members of the Simpson family. For related hilts, sold in this room, see 7th December 2011, lot 157 and 7th December 2022, lot 218.

Auction: Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria Dec 2024, 4th Dec, 2024

Auction Location: London, UK

Including:

THE BILL TERRY COLLECTION, PART II: NON WESTERN ARCHERY

THE ROY ELVIS COLLECTION OF INDIAN ARMS & ARMOUR, PART V

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES SOMERS COCKS, 3RD EARL SOMERS (1819-83), EASTNOR CASTLE, THENCE BY DESCENT

AN IMPORTANT ENGLISH PRIVATE COLLECTION

THE ROBERT E. BROOKER JR. COLLECTION OF RARE ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOUR, PART ONE: THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

 

Contact Simeon Beever for enquiries

simeon.beever@olympiaauctions.com | + 44 (0) 20 7602 4805

Viewing days: 

Sunday 1st December: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Monday 2nd December: 10:00am to 7.00pm
Tuesday 3rd December: 10.00am to 5.00pm

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